Monte Carlo : Subaru / PCWRC - Finish
The final leg of the 2006 Rallye Monte Carlo was a showcase for the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C as young Finnish ace Jari Matti Latvala set blistering stage times in the mountains, winning all six tests of the day.
Leg three wasn`t as kind to Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah as the previous two days had been, the Qatari driver falling foul of the conditions on SS15 and slipping off the road whilst challenging for the lead, in what was turning out to be a fabulous battle between himself and Fumio Nutahara. He was able to continue under SupeRally regulations, and ended the event on the final step of the podium.

The morning got underway with Nasser setting a blinder over the opening stage, the 12.60-kilometre Col de Braus – La Cabanette test. The Qatari driver closed the gap to Mitsubishi driver Fumio Nutahara from more than a minute overnight to a mere 8 seconds by the end of the test. Drivers reported incredibly icy surfaces over the opening stages, particularly where the sun had yet to shine. One could be forgiven for thinking Jari Matti Latvala hadn`t been informed of the road characteristics; such was his pace through the twisty tarmac passes. At the end of the day`s first test, he crossed the timing beam some 32.1 seconds quicker than the next fastest man, the other entrant in the all-new 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C, Nasser Al Attiyah. Third on the stage was Japan`s Fumio Nutahara, 54 seconds further adrift.

Conditions were much the same on SS14, the slightly longer (14.44-km) Col St Roch – Lantosque test, and again it was Jari Matti who set the pace. His second stage win of the day saw the Finn just 1.2 seconds quicker than Mitsubishi man Nutahara, with Nasser taking third.

Al Attiyah hit misfortune on the next stage, one of the most famous in all of world rallying, SS15`s La Bollene Vesubie – Sospel test, more commonly known as the Col de Turini. The reigning MERC (Middle East Rally Championship) champion slid off the road on a patch of ice, eliminating any chance he had of fighting Nutahara for the overall lead of the rally. Under SupeRally regulations, introduced in the 2005 season, Al Attiyah was able to get back in the event, albeit with a five-minute penalty for every stage missed. However, Nasser`s pace to that point, combined with the late stage of the rally when he went off, meant that at worst, he would finish in third place in the PCWRC standings.

After this first group of three stages, the competitors looked forward to a mid-point Service before heading back over the same three tests again on their way to the finish.

On SS16, Jari Matti Latvala, with a lot to prove after his unfortunate double SupeRally incident earlier on in the event, again set the pace over the 12.60-km Col de Braus – La Cabanette test. As it had been in the morning, the first six or seven kilometers of the stage were completely covered in ice. This made tyre choice a difficult gamble as the remainder of the stage – as well as the following two tests of the group, were bone dry. His main rival Nutahara ended over two minutes slower this second time through.

SS17, the second pass of the Col St Roch – Lantosque test, again saw the Finn set the pace, with Nutahara 15.6 seconds back. The sun was making an impact too, temperatures by this point having risen to between 11 and 12 degrees Celsius as the crews blasted down the mountain roads.

On the event`s final stage, the third run through the Col de Turini, Latvala eclipsed Nutahara by over 37 seconds, stamping his authority on these very demanding stages – and showing that the 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C is the machine to beat in this year`s PCWRC.

Overall then, it has been a very promising opening to the 2006 PCWRC season for the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C.

Nasser Al Attiyah
“Obviously I`m very disappointed to have gone off as I felt we had set a good pace up to that point in the rally. I was really enjoying driving the new car, and it was responding exceptionally well. We had come over the Col (the Col de Turini – SS15), and had passed all the slippy bits, being very careful – when a patch of ice caught us out and we ran into a wall. There was damage to the car, but also to the engine; therefore we couldn`t get going again. I would love to have finished first here, but we can be happy taking away six points for our efforts.”

Jari Matti Latvala
“It`s been a really rewarding day for me here on the final leg of the Monte. I am so pleased to have had the chance to really show that the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C is the car to beat. Last year I drove the `05 car and it was very good, but this ‘06 version is excellent. I knew from testing that the `06 car was better, but I was actually surprised at how much it has been improved when I`ve used it here on the rally. The steering is precise, the turn-in is perfect with the new (mechanical) diffs, and the brakes are excellent. All the changes to the car are very positive.

“Naturally, I`m disappointed not to have done the whole event under normal competition conditions, but this result today shows that the `06 car has the pace to win rallies – of that I have no doubt. I can`t wait to get started on the next event.”

George Donaldson, STI Group N Project General Manager
“It`s been a fabulous and typical Monte Carlo rally. This is just about one of my favourite events, but at the same time I always know it`s an event more of tragedy than triumph because the conditions are so difficult for the drivers. “It`s unfortunate that Nasser went off the road just three stages from the end, but the schedule is that his car will be brought back to parc ferme by his mechanics and they will get their six points for the rally. On the opening two legs, Nasser showed impressive pace in the Autotek-run, Prodrive-built car and we are very proud of his first showing here on the Monte Carlo rally. Along with his obvious pace, Nasser has demonstrated a superb survivability – a skill that is incredibly valuable in rallying.

“Jari Matti Latvala in the Italian team (Motoring Club) Tommi Makinen Racing-built car finally had a terrific run today and has reported back how fantastic the new car is. He was making top ten times today (SS13, SS16), beating some of the World Rally cars in the process. His very positive comments are a testament to the development that has gone into the new spec C, and bodes very well indeed for the season ahead. Jari himself was surprised how good the ‘06 car seemed in competition on its first event.

“We are looking forward to the next event on the PCWRC calendar, the Corona Rally Mexico where we`ll have a larger contingent of Subaru competitors as a number of entrants have elected to start their season on that event.”

Round 2 of the 2006 PCWRC takes place in six weeks` time when the championship crosses the Atlantic for the Corona Rally Mexico over the March 3-5 weekend. Already a greater number of crews have been confirmed for this event, including reigning Production Car champion and Subaru driver Toshi Arai. The teams will be facing dramatically different weather conditions on the event, as well as running on the first gravel rally of the year.

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